Fort Edward, upon a Report of Engineer Gordon, whom I have order'd to Survey it, as also Fort William Henry, and Expect him here in a day or two. I also inclose your Excellency a Copy of the Examination of a French prisoner Taken by Capt. Rogers between Ticonderoge and the Enemy's advanced Guard; which will shew their Strength and motions; Likewise the Copy of Sir William Johnson's Conference with some Indians of the Six Nations at Fort Johnson on the 12th Instant; upon which I am to acquaint your Excellency, That Sir William is at last determin'd to go to Onondago, and I expect from thence after the meeting is ended, to Oswego.1 General Winslow, since his Arrival here, hath much alter'd the appearance of every part of the preparations making for the expedition, and I am now in hopes, things may be put under some Regulation, and in a proper Channel; I shall give him the utmost assistance in my power for extricating every thing out of the disorder, which he found them in. I am to acknowledge the Receipt of your Excellencys Favour of the 16th: instant: Mr. Alexander has now the Account of the Balances due to the Several Waggoners for Waggon-hire etca :, and they have receiv'd Orders to come for their Money. I am with Great Esteem Sir Your Excellencys most Humble W. SHIRLEY. His Excellency Sir Charles Hardy. SIR, WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO HENRY FOX 2 Albany, June 13th, 1756. I have the Honour of your Letters dated the 13th and 31st of March; and shall in Obedience to his Majesty's 1See Johnson to the Lords of Trade, May 28, Doct. Hist. New York, 2, 418. 2P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. Transcripts are in the Library of Congress and in the Parkman Papers in the Mass. Hist. Society. 461 Commands, signifi'd to me in the latter of them, repair to England with all possible Expedition, after delivering to Colonel Webb (whose Arrival at this Place from New York he informs me I may daily expect) all such Papers as relate to the King's Service, and having Notice of the Frigate, which the Lords of Admiralty have order'd to receive me on board, pursuant to the Directions, which you have inform'd me his Majesty hath been pleas'd to give them for that purpose.1 I am much oblig'd to you, Sir, for the high Pleasure you have given me in acquainting me with his Majesty's gracious Acceptance of my Services, and that he intends to give me a New Mark of his Royal Favour. Upon Colonel Webb's communicating to me (as you are pleas'd to inform me he has Directions to do) his Orders and Instructions, and concerting with me in what manner it may be most adviseable to employ the King's Forces, now in America, untill the Earl of Loudown [sic] or Major General Abercromby shall arrive there with the Regular Troops, Artillery, and Stores, which his Majesty has order'd to be sent from England; I will give him, Sir, pursuant to your Directions all the lights, that are in my Power, to assist him in the Execution of the Commission, with which he is charg'd. I have the honour to be with the Highest respect, Sir, Your most Humble and most Obedient Servant, The Rt. Honble. Henry Fox one of his Endorsed: Albany June 13th. 1756. M. G. SHIRLEY. R Augt. 6th. W. SHIRLEY. 1 See letters Fox to Shirley, March 13 and 31, ante, p. 425 and note. SIR, WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO HENRY FOX1 Albany, June 14th, 1756. With your Letter of the 13th of March, directed to me as Major General, I had the Honour to receive from you three others of the same Date, two of them (I suppose) Circular ones, number'd 1. 2., and the other a separate one, directed to the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay; The two former of these I have transmitted to Lieut. Governor Phipps by Express, that he may lose no time for convening the Massachusetts Assembly and Council, and acquainting them with the Grant of £115,000, which the parliament had, upon his Majesty's Recommendation, made to the Colonies concern'd for their past Services, and as an Encouragement for them to continue to act with the same Spirit and Vigour; As Also with his Majesty's Expectations of their complying with what was demanded of them for his Service in those Letters; and have us'd the best Endeavours, I can at this Distance, to induce them to pay the most dutifull Regard to what his Majesty requires. Concerning these two Letters, Sir, I have nothing to observe in particular, except what regards the number of Provincial Troops, which it appears in that mark'd No. 1, his Majesty expects the New England Colonies and the Province of New York should raise for his Service this Year. I have acquainted you in my Letter of the 7th of May, that a much larger Number of Troops was voted by them to be rais'd this year than was the last; and that those Colonies, besides bearing that part of the Expence of the Troops, which his Majesty expects they shall, are by their Votes to find them with Provisions and Military Stores in proportion to their respective Quotas; so that his Majesty's signifying his Intentions to supply those provincial Troops with provisions and Stores out of his own Magazines ought to have the most powerfull Effect to make the Colonies comply with 1 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 46. A transcript is in the Library of Congress. what his Majesty expects from them, as should likewise the great Encouragements given to the Soldiers, have upon them to induce them to inlist into his Service.1 As to the separate Letter, Sir, which regards the 2000 New England Irregulars rais'd for his Majesty's Service in Nova Scotia in the Year 1755; the State of that Matter is as follows: Mr. Lawrence's proposal to me by Lieut. Colonel Monckton was to have them rais'd for six Months only, but as I judg'd it would be more adviseable to have them inlisted for a Year, I inlisted them for that time. The Dispatch, with which these Troops were to be rais'd, that they might be compleated in time for effecting the Service, to which they were destin'd; the Necessity, there was at the same time that my own and Sir William Pepperrell's Regiments should likewise be rais'd soon enough to take the Field in the ensuing Campaigne, and the View, I had of bringing the four Colonies of New England, and the Province of New York into raising 4000 Men for an Attempt against Crown-point in the same Year (which likewise took place) made it impracticable to enlist the 2000 Men for Nova Scotia for a longer term than one year. They were accordingly inlisted for that time, and had Certificates given them that they should be discharg❜d at the End of it, or sooner if his Majesty's Service in Nova Scotia would Admit. Soon after the Surrender of Beau Sejour, some small Animosities happen'd, as I have been inform'd, between the Commanding Officer of the Expedition and the principal Officers of the Irregulars, which were afterwards increas'd by an Order given in Nova Scotia, whilst the New England Regiment subsisted as a Corps, for inlisting such of the Soldiers of it into the King's Regiments, as could be got to do it; this was communicated to the Massachusetts Assembly in so unfavourable a light with regard to the Men's being, 1 On June 9, Governor Hopkins of Rhode Island recommended that colony to raise more troops for Crown Point (Kimball, Corres. Col. Govs. of R. I. 2, 216), and on June 22, acts providing for troops and additional provisions were passed (R. I. Col. Rec. 5, 498–501). as it was pretended, drove to it by Inconveniencies, which they suffer'd in the Service, beyond what the Regulars did, that it inflam'd the whole Province during my Absence, and produc'd a very warm Application of the Assembly to me upon my Return, desiring I would order all the New England Men, who had thus inlisted into the King's Regiments to be discharg'd from them, and forthwith to send Transport Vessells to bring the New England Battaillons back from Nova Scotia to Boston. In my Answer to the Assembly's Message I moderated their Demands for having the New England Men, who had inlisted into the King's Regiments, immediately discharg'd, by confining it to such only as were born in New England or had Families or near Relations in it, and actually desir'd to be dismiss'd; and upon assuring them that the other Soldiers of the two Battaillons should be discharg'd and return'd home at the End of their Inlistments, if they requir'd it, and sending some Vessells to Halifax to lye ready there for the transportation of one of the Battaillons, I satisfy'd them, and hope all Heart-burnings on this Account are at an End. When I sent the Vessels to Halifax I advis'd Governor Lawrence to endeavour to gain the Men of both the Battaillons Consent to continue in Nova Scotia under their own Officers, for such time as he thought his Majesty's Service might require it, by offering them a small Bounty; and wrote Letters to the Commanding Officers of both Battaillons, requiring them to exert their utmost Influence with the Men under their Command to induce them to consent to stay longer; which the Officers assur'd me they did; But Governor Lawrence informs me, that all Endeavours were in vain; that very few or none of the Soldiers could be prevail'd on to stay; and he thereupon order'd both Battaillons to be sent to Boston; which indeed could not be avoided without breaking faith with the Men, by holding them against their Consent beyond the terms of their Inlistments, and by that means producing bad Consequences to his Majesty's Service not only in Nova Scotia, but all over the Continent. |